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Twiggy, born Lesley Hornby, is without a doubt one of the biggest fashion icons to emerge from the 1960’s. Her thin frame and big blue eyes became the envy of fashionistas everywhere. The look of drawn on lashes (anything to make the eyes look bigger) and pale lips became a Twiggy staple as girls copied her look to fit in with Swinging London and everything Mod.

The geometric patterns and straight cuts of fabric in 60’s fashion fit the Twiggy’s frame as clothes did in the sketches fashion designers put down on paper–making her the perfect model. In a way, Twiggy and her “twig-like legs” (as you’ll see in the video above) brought designs to life in a way other models hadn’t done before.

Twiggy took her style around the world, landing numerous jobs in Europe, the US and Asia. Her success also came with numerous awards including being named “The Face of 1966,” “Woman of the Year,” and a variety of Vogue covers. While the 90’s ushered in the era of the supermodel, including fellow Brit Kate Moss, I think it’s safe to say Twiggy revolutionized the British modeling and fashion scene and inspired girls across the globe to cut their hair short and challenge their own sense of style.

In this video we get a glimpse into the past and Twiggy’s charming nature as well as some hair and fashion looks from the 1960’s. Take a look at the mini-dress Twiggy dances in while listening to “Jimmy Mack” by Martha Reeves & The Vandellas on the BBC; it really isn’t much different from most of the dresses you see in nightclubs today. The rest of the clips in this great video also give you a look into plaid prints and berets that were the other, less colorful side of 60’s fashion.

If you would like to try out a Twiggy look at home, check out this tutorial by UK YouTube makeup guru Nicola, half of the FashionFace.TV team.

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Ultra Swank

Ultra Swank is a magazine styled blog that takes you back in time into the kitsch, chic, swank and camp living of the 1940s to the 1970s. We mostly focus on the design, style, and fashion of the happy-go-lucky and space-age-living mentality of that era – but also on the music and movies that takes you back to happier times. Ultra Swank is written by a dedicated team of time travelers from around the globe.